Public Health Commons^™

Effects Of Instrument Handle Design On Dental Hygienists' Forearm Muscle Activity During Scaling, Jessica R. Suedbeck, Susan L. Tolle, Gayle Mccombs, Martha L. Walker, Daniel M. Russell

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of 4 different commercially available instrument handle designs (A. 16 grams and 12.7 mm diameter, B. 23 grams and 11.1 mm diameter, C. 21 grams and 7.9 mm diameter and D. 18 grams and 6.35 mm diameter) on the muscle activity of four forearm muscles during a simulated scaling experience.

Methods: A convenience sample of 27 (n=27) dental hygienists used a Columbia 13/14 curet with four different instrument handles to scale artificial calculus from typodont teeth. Each participant's muscle activity was measured using surface electromyography (sEMG).

Results: Similar muscle …

An Analysis Of The Physiological And Psychological Wellbeing Of Irish Naval Service Personnel, Cliodhna Sargent

Theses

Whilst all military cohorts have been seen to experience both physiological and psychological stressors during occupational duties, the naval service experience different stressors due the prolonged periods of time spent at sea. Research has analysed some of these stressors however many them have focused on how individuals are affected because of time spent in combat zones. The Irish Naval Service (INS) is an organisation under the Irish Defence Forces organisation and as such many of its physiological and psychological assessment procedures have come from the Defenee Forces. Very limited researeh has been carried out in relation to the INS as …

Farm Deaths And Injuries: Changing Farmer Attitudes And Behaviour On Farm Safety, Kieran O'Connell

Theses

While the Irish agricultural sector accounts for just 6% of the working population of Ireland, it consistently has the highest proportion of fatal incidents of any sector - generally ranging from between 35% and 45% of all workplace fatalities in any given year (Health and Safety Authority, 2015). This was again evident in 2014 where 55% (30 of the 56) of the fatal workplace incidents were in the agricultural sector (Health and Safety Authority, 2015). Agriculture has an ageing workforce with the average age of an Irish farmer now standing at fifty-seven and farmers are eight times more likely to …

Implantation Du Cadenassage Des Équipements Mobiles Dans Le Secteur Municipal : Étude Exploratoire, Damien Burlet-Vienney, Yuvin Chinniah, Barthélemy Aucourt

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Au Québec, selon l’article 188.2 du Règlement sur la santé et la sécurité du travail (RSST), une procédure de cadenassage, ou à défaut « toute autre méthode qui assure une sécurité équivalente » doit être appliquée lors des interventions hors production dans une zone dangereuse d’une machine. On entend par « interventions hors production » toutes les opérations s’apparentant à celles mentionnées dans l’article 188.2 du RSST. Le but de telles méthodes de travail est de maîtriser les énergies dangereuses associées à l’équipement afin d’éviter toute libération d’énergie intempestive, et donc toutes blessures subséquentes. Les obligations des établissements au …

Robotique Collaborative : Évaluation Des Fonctions De Sécurité Et Retour D’Expérience Des Travailleurs, Utilisateurs Et Intégrateurs Au Québec, Sabrina Jocelyn, Damien Burlet-Vienney, Laurent Giraud, Adel Sghaier

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Depuis 2010, l’industrie utilise un nouveau genre de robot capable d’interagir avec les travailleurs en production ou simplement de partager le même espace de travail. On les appelle « robots collaboratifs » ou cobots. Le cobot se distingue des robots conventionnels par l’interaction entre la machine et le travailleur; il accompagne ce dernier, l’assiste ou l’aide à réaliser des tâches. Toutefois, ce changement technologique fait apparaître de nouveaux risques surtout en production : risques de collisions (puisque l’humain peut être en contact avec le cobot), risques de troubles musculosquelettiques (TMS) (même si le cobot est conçu pour les éviter, il …

Évaluation Des Risques Liés À La Sst : Les Critères De Conception D’Un Outil Pour Les Superviseurs De Stage Du « Parcours De Formation Axée Sur L’Emploi », Marie Laberge, Aurélie Tondoux, Fanny Camiré Tremblay

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Au Québec, les statistiques de la Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) indiquent que les déclarations des lésions professionnelles par les jeunes travailleurs ont beaucoup diminué dans la dernière décennie. Certains jeunes demeurent cependant plus vulnérables aux lésions professionnelles, dont ceux qui éprouvent des difficultés d’apprentissage ou d’adaptation. Ces jeunes occupent plus souvent des métiers manuels, ont peu d’expérience et ils peuvent avoir des difficultés particulières de compréhension qui pourraient les fragiliser lors de l’apprentissage d’un métier. Le ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur (MEES) a mis sur pied …

Évaluation De La Biomasse Mycologique Sur Les Surfaces Des Réseaux Aérauliques Des Systèmes De Ventilation, Geneviève Marchand, Nancy Lacombe, Carole Pépin, Marie-Jeanne Biyeyeme Mve Bi, Carol-Anne Villeneuve, Marie Gardette, Jacques Lavoie, Maximilien Debia, Yves Cloutier

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les systèmes de chauffage, de ventilation et de climatisation de l’air (CVCA) permettent le maintien d’une bonne qualité de l’air dans différents types d’édifices. Toutefois, lorsque ces systèmes ne sont pas bien entretenus, ils peuvent devenir des sources d’émission de polluants dans l’air ambiant. Actuellement, les critères de déclenchement du nettoyage des conduits de ventilation sont souvent basés sur les dépôts de poussières. Or, une évaluation de la biomasse mycologique des poussières devrait faire partie des critères d’entretien puisque l’importance d’un dépôt de poussières n’est aucunement indicatrice de la charge microbienne qu’il contient. Afin de tenir …

Évaluation Des Bioaérosols Et Des Composés Gazeux Émis Lors Des Compostages De Résidus Agroalimentaires Et Résidentiels, Geneviève Marchand, Laetitia Bonifait, Marc Veillette, Carole Pépin, Yves Beaudet, Éric Légaré, Jacques Lavoie, Caroline Duchaine, Yves Bernard, Yves Cloutier

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Au cours des dernières années, la conscientisation écologique des populations a stimulé de façon importante l’intérêt qu’elles portent à la protection de l’environnement. Des comportements favorisant le développement durable et permettant la préservation à long terme de l’environnement comme le compostage sont maintenant répandus. De par sa nature, le compostage nécessite l’action des microorganismes. À chaque phase de compostage correspondent des populations de microorganismes caractéristiques et, par conséquent, des émissions de bioaérosols qui leur sont propres. Plusieurs gaz peuvent également être présents dans l’air ambiant lors des activités de compostage. Les travailleurs de ces milieux peuvent donc être …

Mesure De L'Exposition Du Technicien Ambulancier Paramédical Aux Facteurs De Risque De Troubles Musculosquelettiques, Philippe Corbeil, André Plamondon, Angelo Tremblay, Jérôme Prairie, Dominique Larouche, Sandrine Hegg-Deloye

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Le technicien ambulancier paramédical (TAP) a comme fonction principale de prodiguer les soins préhospitaliers d’urgence tout en assurant, de façon sécuritaire, le transport du bénéficiaire vers un centre hospitalier. Fondamentalement, son objectif est de réduire au minimum la mortalité et la morbidité des bénéficiaires en minimisant le temps de réponse. De nombreuses études à travers le monde, incluant le Québec, montrent que les TAP ont un taux plus élevé de lésions professionnelles et prennent leur retraite plus tôt que les autres travailleurs de la population y compris ceux du système de santé. Plusieurs TAP quittent leur emploi pour un autre …

Accuracy And Repeatability Of Single-Pose Calibration Of Inertial Measurement Units For Whole-Body Motion Analysis, Xavier Robert-Lachaine, Hakim Mecheri, Christian Larue, André Plamondon

Études primaires

Portable inertial measurement units (IMUs) are suitable for motion analysis outside the laboratory. However, IMUs depend on the calibration of each body segment to measure human movement. Different calibration approaches have been developed for simplicity of use or similarity to laboratory motion analysis, but they have not been extensively examined. The main objective of the study was to determine the accuracy and repeatability of two common single-pose calibrations (N-pose and T-pose) under different conditions of placement (self-placement and passive placement), as well as their similarity to laboratory analysis based on anatomical landmarks. A further aim of the study was to …

Machine Safety: Hands-On Experimentation With Risk Estimation Parameters And Tools, François Gauthier, Yuvin Chinniah, Damien Burlet-Vienney, Barthélemy Aucourt, Stéphane Larouche

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Dans une démarche d’appréciation du risque telle que définie dans la norme internationale ISO 12100:2010, l’estimation du risque est une étape essentielle permettant aux concepteurs et aux utilisateurs de machines de déterminer le niveau de risque et les situations dangereuses les plus critiques. Deux études antérieures financées par l'Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) ont permis de révéler que les nombreux outils qui permettent de réaliser l’estimation du risque se présentent sous des formes très diverses, et que plusieurs de leurs caractéristiques (ex. : paramètres, architecture) pouvaient influencer de façon importante le …

Development Of A Confined Space Risk Analysis And Work Categoraziation Tool, Yuvin Chinniah, Ali Bahloul, Damien Burlet-Vienney, Brigitte Roberge

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Au Québec, le Règlement sur la santé et la sécurité du travail (RSST) définit un espace clos à l’article 1 (ce projet a été mené avec la définition d’un espace clos applicable en 2016. Cette définition a été modifiée le 25 juillet 2023). Le travail en espace clos est une problématique qui concerne à la fois les secteurs municipal, manufacturier, chimique, militaire, agricole, de la construction et du transport. Les espaces clos parmi les plus courants en industrie sont les réservoirs, les silos, les cuves, les puits d’accès, les fosses, les égouts, les …

Design Of Horizontal Lifeline Systems For Fall Protection: Update Of Technical Guide, Bertrand Galy, André Lan

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les chutes de hauteur sont encore aujourd’hui une des causes majeures d’accidents du travail. Trop souvent, les travailleurs ne s’attachent pas, faute de point d’ancrage disponible, ou parce qu’ils trouvent que les points d’attache fixes restreignent trop leurs mouvements. Cette restriction peut toutefois être levée grâce aux systèmes de corde d’assurance horizontale (SCAH). Le présent rapport constitue la mise à jour du guide technique T-18 publié en 1991 et rend ce dernier caduc. Cette mise à jour était devenue nécessaire à la suite de l’introduction, en 2001, au Code de sécurité pour les travaux de construction (CSTC), de l’obligation d’équiper …

Risk Register And Risk Intelligence: The Challenge Of Operational Risks In The Energy Sector, Maria Chiara Leva, B. Mcaleer, M. Rocke, D. Brogan

Conference papers

This paper presents the needs and the challenges encountered in developing a company-wide risk register in the energy sector. The study presented comes from an electricity generation company and it was useful to indicate areas where the concept of risk registers could be extended to make better use of existing data and to support continuous improvement of risk management. Six key areas are discussed 1) aggregation of risks across the business, 2) supporting controls over mitigation measures, 3) improved estimation of event likelihood, 4) integrating with critical asset registers, 5) improving risk communication, and 6) linking with day-to-day operational practice. …

Leadership Practices That Improve The Workplace Safety Environment, Nathan Nomore Chikono

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inadequate leadership is the reason workplace accidents in the mining industry remain high, making the industry one of the most hazardous operational activities in the world. Unsafe leadership practices may result in death or injury to workers. A group of 30 mining company leaders from 3 gold mines in Zimbabwe revealed an exception to these hazardous practices, however, notable through their outstanding safety improvement records. To better understand what these practitioners were doing, this multicase study research design explored their strategies to improve the workplace safety environment in the mines. Data were collected using audio-recorded semistructured interviews and document analyses. …

Sexual Harassment Experience, Psychological Climate, And Sex Effect On Perception Of Safety, Kenneth C. Barker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual harassment has significant adverse psychological and physical effects on employees and can negatively impact the workplace, and overall business operations. A gap in current research was identified concerning whether the employee's sex affects employee's perceived workplace sexual harassment climate, sexual harassment experience, and perceived safety from sexual harassment. This study examined the effects of employee workplace sexual harassment experience and perception of workplace sexual harassment psychological climate on employee's perceived safety from sexual harassment moderated by sex. Results showed that perceived workplace sexual harassment climate and employee workplace sexual harassment experience were both significant predictors of perceived safety from …

Difference Between Male And Female Workers Lifting The Same Relative Load When Palletizing Boxes, André Plamondon, Christian Larivière, Denys Denis, Hakim Mecheri, Iuliana Nastasia

Études primaires

A few biomechanical studies have contrasted the work techniques of female and male workers during manual material handling (MMH). A recent study showed that female workers differed from males mostly in the strategy they used to lift 15-kg boxes from the ground, especially regarding task duration, knee and back postures and interjoint coordination. However, the lifting technique difference observed in females compared to males was perhaps due to a strength differences. The objective of this study was to test whether female workers would repeat the same lifting technique with a load adjusted to their overall strength (females: 10 kg; males: …

Effect Of Local Magnetic Field Disturbances On Inertial Measurement Units Accuracy, Xavier Robert-Lachaine, Hakim Mecheri, Christian Larue, André Plamondon

Études primaires

Inertial measurement units (IMUs), a practical motion analysis technology for field acquisition, have magnetometers to improve segment orientation estimation. However, sensitivity to magnetic disturbances can affect their accuracy. The objective of this study was to determine the joint angles accuracy of IMUs under different timing of magnetic disturbances of various durations and to evaluate a few correction methods. Kinematics from 12 individuals were obtained simultaneously with an Xsens system where an Optotrak cluster acting as the reference system was affixed to each IMU. A handling task was executed under normal laboratory conditions and imposed magnetic disturbances. Joint angle RMSE was …

The Effect Of An 8-Week Stabilization Exercise Program On The Lumbopelvic Rhythm And Flexion-Relaxation Phenomenon, Ali Shahvarpour, Sharon M. Henry, Richard Preuss, Hakim Mecheri, Christian Larivière

Études primaires

Background

Lumbar stabilization exercise programs should normalize the aberrant movements patterns often observed in patients with low back pain. This study aimed to determine the effect of an 8-week lumbar stabilization program on EMG/kinematics measures of the aberrant movement patterns in such patients. A secondary goal was to assess the 8-week test-retest reliability of these measures.

Methods

The patients followed an 8-week lumbar stabilization program while no intervention was carried out on the controls. Before and after this period, kinematics of the spine along with the EMG of paraspinal muscles were recorded during trunk maximal flexion-extension. ANOVAs tested the effect …

Validation Of Inertial Measurement Units With An Optoelectronic System For Whole-Body Motion Analysis, Xavier Robert-Lachaine, Hakim Mecheri, Christian Larue, André Plamondon

Études primaires

The potential of inertial measurement units (IMUs) for ergonomics applications appears promising. However, previous IMUs validation studies have been incomplete regarding aspects of joints analysed, complexity of movements and duration of trials. The objective was to determine the technological error and biomechanical model differences between IMUs and an optoelectronic system and evaluate the effect of task complexity and duration. Whole-body kinematics from 12 participants was recorded simultaneously with a full-body Xsens system where an Optotrak cluster was fixed on every IMU. Short functional movements and long manual material handling tasks were performed and joint angles were compared between the two …

Green Jobs In Quebec: Definition And Assessment Of Potential Chemical And Biological Risks To Workers' Health, Erwan Cheneval, Marc-Antoine Busque, Claude Ostiguy, Jacques Lavoie, Robert Bourbonnais, France Labrèche, Joseph Zayed

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les emplois générés par les efforts d’écologisation de l’économie sont en pleine croissance. Ces emplois, couramment appelés « emplois verts », étaient estimés en 2010 à plus de 155 000 au Québec et à 682 000 au Canada. Ces chiffres dépendent bien entendu des définitions données aux termes « écologie » et « environnement », mais donnent une idée de l’importance de ce secteur en croissance. Plusieurs nouvelles technologies se développent et il est impératif d’en apprécier les risques potentiels pour la santé des travailleurs.

L’objectif de cette recherche est de tracer le portrait québécois des emplois verts et d’apprécier …

Consequences Of Job Stress For The Psychological Well-Being Of Teachers, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Renzo Bianchi, Peter Luehring-Jones

Publications and Research

This chapter examines research on the relationship between job stressors and mental health (depressive symptoms, burnout, and mental disorders such as depression) in teachers. Teachers are exposed daily to job stressors (e.g., student disruptiveness) that have been linked to adverse mental health effects. Epidemiologic research indicates that when compared to members of other groups, teachers experience higher rates of mental disorder, although some studies question that conclusion. Large-scale studies indicate when compared to members of other occupational groups, teachers are at higher risk for exposure to workplace violence, with its adverse mental health consequences. Longitudinal research has linked teaching-related stressors …

Internet-Based Behavior Of It Professionals: Implications For Online Ergonomic Education To Prevent Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders, Priyadarshini Pattath

Theses and Dissertations

INTERNET-BASED BEHAVIOR OF IT PROFESSIONALS: IMPLICATIONS FOR ONLINE ERGONOMIC EDUCATION TO PREVENT WORK-RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS

By Priyadarshini Pattath, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2017 Director: Dr. Robin Hurst, Assistant Professor of Adult Learning, Teaching and Learning,

School of Education

The purpose of this study was to explore the preferences of medium of ergonomic education and views about self-directed online training modules to prevent musculoskeletal disorders in computer professionals and understand their perspectives and experiences about online health information seeking using a …

Wellness Education And Job-Related Injuries And Illnesses For Federal Employees, Eunice Scott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Work-related injuries and illnesses may lead to absenteeism, which affects the level of productivity. The purpose of this study was to determine the success of an employee workplace training program on work-related injury and illness rates at selected federal districts within a federal organization. Newman's model, which describes internal and external factors that may have an effect on an individual's health, was the framework that guided this project. A pre-post design was used to compare data from 2 publically available data sets, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Illness and Injury and the Voice of the Employee Survey, for the …

Influence Of Psychological Empowerment, Leadership, And Climate On Safety Outcomes, Christine Healy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has demonstrated that safety outcomes are impacted by workplace risk factors, but also supervisory practices and employee actions. An area that has not been explored is the impact of employee cognitions on safety outcomes defined as work-related injuries. Based on the conceptual framework of psychological empowerment (PE), the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of employee cognitions as measured by PE as related to leadership and safety climate and the occurrence of work-related injury. The research examined the mediating effect of (PE) on the factors of leadership and safety climate and their relationship to work-related injury. …

Obesity And Obesity Shape Markedly Influence Spine Biomechanics: A Subject-Specific Risk Assessment Model, Farshid Ghezelbash, Aboulfazl Shirazi-Adl, André Plamondon, Navid Arjmand, Mohammad Parnianpour

Études primaires

Underlying mechanisms of obesity-related back pain remain unexplored. Thus, we aim to determine the effect of obesity and its shapes on the spinal loads and the associated risks of injury. Obesity shapes were initially constructed by principal component analysis based on datasets on 5852 obese individuals. Spinal loads, cycles to vertebral failure and trunk stability margin were estimated in a subject-specific trunk model taking account of personalized musculature, passive ligamentous spine, obesity shapes, segmental weights, spine kinematics and bone mineral density. Three obesity shapes (mean and extreme abdominal circumferences) at three body weights (BWs) of 86, 98 and 109 kg …

Use Of The Novel Derivatizing Agent 1,8-Diaminonapthalene With The Cip10 Sampler To Measure 4,4'-Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate Atmospheres, Silvia Puscasu, Simon Aubin, Philippe Sarazin, Lucile Richard, Mark Spence, Sébastien Gagné

Études primaires

DAN is a novel derivatizing agent for isocyanate sampling which targets total reactive isocyanate group (TRIG). Field evaluations have been conducted for 4,4’-Methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) sampling using DAN as the derivatizing agent in a CIP10. The perimidone formed, selective of TRIG, was analyzed in laboratory by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Workplaces using MDI-based polyurethane spray foam and MDI wood product binder were studied. Each study compared the data obtained between the CIP10/DAN, the CIP10/MP, and a reference method. As a first evaluation, the CIP10/DAN sampled simulated MDI spray foam atmosphere in parallel with impingers (reference method) …

Indoor Air Quality, Clint Pinion Jr.

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

An indoor air quality study was conducted on a ‘net-zero energy’ school using a TSI Velocicalc Model 9555-p with probe model 982, passive radon monitors, visual inspection protocol, and an indoor environmental quality survey of school faculty and staff. Average indoor temperature, relative humidity, and carbon dioxide levels in several areas within the school were not within IAQ guidelines. Three rooms on the school’s grounds had radon levels exceeding the action level. Recommended solutions included installing return and supply air ducts in hallways and relative humidity and temperature monitors in classrooms with high-pitched ceilings.

Ethnographic Insights Into Safety Communication For Frontline Workers, Kelly Jaunzems, Lelia Green, David Leith, Christine Teague

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Recent calls for organisation studies to embrace ‘the practice turn’ (Whittington, 2011) have expanded into an understanding of the potential for ethnographic research in occupational health and safety (OHS) research (Pink et al., 2016). The ethnographic project described here, with fieldwork conducted between 2008 and 2010, is one element of this growing appreciation of the potential for qualitative research in industrial settings. Ethnographies have not often been used in OHS settings, and ‘much practicebased knowledge remains undocumented, informal, unspoken and thus unaccounted for’ (Pink et al., 2016, p. 27). This study was motivated by an aim to make explicit the …

Prevalence Of Epilepsy In China Between 1990 And 2015: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Peige Song, Yezhou Liu, Xinwei Yu, Jingjing Wu, Adrienne N. Poon, Alessandro R. Demaio, Wei Wang, Igor D. Rudan, Kityee Chan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Epilepsy is a major neurological disorder that affects approximately 65 million people worldwide. Globally, the burden of epilepsy is not evenly distributed, with more than 80% of sufferers residing in low- and middle-income countries. This study estimates the burden of epilepsy in mainland China from 1990 to 2015 and explores the variations of burden by age and gender.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature from 1990 to 2015 using Chinese and English academic databases (CNKI, WanFang, VIP and PubMed) to identify population- based prospective studies on the prevalence of epilepsy in mainland Chinese. Multilevel mixed-effects …